Gate construction



vJuly z2, 1952 B. s. `HARDY GATE CONSTRUCTION 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Filed Aug. l5, 1949 July 22,1952 B. s. HARDY 2,603,895

GATE CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 15, 1949 v 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 y. E //4 2/ O//f/J /7 Patented July 22, 1952 OFFICE I' GATE CONSTRUCTIN l l Bryan Stuart Hardy, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Application August 15, 1949, Serial No. 110,314

4 claims. (ci. sei-sn My invention relates to gates for use in fences and is especially concerned with a gate primarily adapted for use in fences dening stock corrals and passageways.

It is an object of my invention to provide a stock gate which can be swung into a number of positions both open and closed in order to block or aiford access tov adjacent lanes and corrals.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a stock gate which affords a Wide opening for the rapid passage of stock but which does not unduly sag or require excessive support and extremely heavy construction in order to keep it free-'swinging throughout its life.

An object of the invention is to provide a stock gate which can be readily fabricated of composite construction so that parts which might be damaged by stock can readily and easily be replaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a relatively large stock gate which can easily be operated from a position Whichis safe for the operator.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide means for operating a multitude of stock gates simultaneously.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stock gate which can be fabricated in different sizes and lengths with substantially standard hardware.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a, stock gate capable of operating in either direction at the option ofthe user.

Other objects together with the foregoing are attained in the embodiment of the invention described in the accompanying description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which y `Figure 1 'is an elevation of a stock gate constructed in accordancewith my invention, there being shown portions of a number of gates arranged for simultaneous operation.

Figure 2 is a side elevation to an enlarged scale of the hinge portion of my gate construction.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the construction shown in Figure 2 and to the same scale.

Figure 4 is a plan of the construction of Figure 2 shown to the same scale.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail of the eyebolt and hinge bolt construction, parts being in cross y Figure 7 is a plan of a bottom eyebolt. Stock gate constructions particularly are subject to .numerous variations depending upon the size and arrangement ofthe corrals and runways in which they are utilized but it is often desirable to have a relatively wide stock gate-capable of passing a number of cattle. at onceL and arranged so that it can, for example, Abe operated to Vopen a corral and simultaneously to block. a passageway in either direction. Furthermore, the gate is subject to variation in lengthfor particular installations and in amount of swing in different installations. As a typical example, I have illustrated herein a form of gate construction which has been successfully utilized in -a stool: yard.

In that environment the gate' construction ,includes for each gate a pair of.V upstandingposts 6 and arrangedl to be supported in the ground 8 in any convenient fashion and extending yupwardly to a convenient ,height,l,so:net irnes being tied together at thetop althoughv not V so illustrated herein, and in some Ainstanceathe gate posts 6 and 1 are doubled, as illustratedinFigure 1. On each of the upstanding posts 6 and 1, I provide a pair of brackets ll and ll2 especially illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4. These brackets are all substantially identical except possibly for symmetry. yEach of them includes a .strap I3 of `the proper size Vtoencompass part of the upstanding posty and is perforated to receive large screws or bolts or similarfastenings I4 engaging thepost.` Oneof the brackets Il is mounted adjacent Ythe upper end-of the post whereas the other oneis secured adjacent the lower or bottom enclofthepost..l l Each ofthe brackets has-Welded to it a -horizontal tube l 6 capable of receiving in rather loose inter-connection one; of a zpairof eyebolts l1 and |8.r These` eyebolts are substantially identical and are threaded to receive apair of jam rvnuts tei and 2l `so that the horizontal position of the eyebolt in the sleeve orltube I6 can be established.' In this-way the eyes 22 at the extremitiesjof the eyebolts can be disposed rather accurately in vertical alignment. For convenience Ifgoften fabricate "the eyes A22- of large threadless nuts welded to the ends4 of the eyebolts.

Preferably the interior of each of the eyes 22 forms a journal v.andv the facing parts ofthe eyebolts are beveled or tapered or coned in order that entry into the journal portioncan be facilitated.

l yTo precluderotationof theeyebolts with respect lto their mountings'l weldtoeach of them a curved strap `3 .extended to a convenient loca- 'for a hand lever 41.

` canA swing through a wide arc. Vlever is preferably of circular contour to form an easily grasped handportion 49.

tion for fastening to the adjacent upright post by a lag screw 24. In this way, after the brackets I I and I2 have been mounted and after the nuts I9 and 2I have once been adjusted to locate the eyes 22, the straps 23 are secured in position thereby establishing the mounting in the correct relationship. The installations on both of the upright posts 6 and 1 are identical and face each other.

To span the space between the upstanding posts and to provide a gate panel I have included a pair of identical upstanding end members 3I and 32. These preferably take the form of angle irons arranged to face each other and .provided with a number of perforations 33 to receive fastenings 34 securing gate bars 3B to the respective angle irons. The gate bars are preferably wooden planks in order to provide material which is relatively light and strong yet which can readily be Vreplaced in the event it is damaged by cattle. The rectangular gate panel so formed is reinforced byY a Vpair ofcrossed straps 31 and V38 fastened to the end members 3| and 32'and also fastened tothe individual ones of the gate bars 36.

In accordance with my invention I provide each of the angle ironsor end members with appro priate means for supporting and mounting the gate panel and with means for operating the support and pivoting mechanism. For this reason Y each of the angle irons 3l and 32v is provided with jected position extend or enter into journal rel lationship with the adjacent eyes 22. Furthermore, the extended portions'of the bolts are preferably conical or tapered (as shown in Figure in order more readily to enter into the tapered or Vconical eye bolts and to overcome misalignment. i Y

In addition, the lowermost eyebolts 22 and the lowermost hingebolts 42 have a weight supporting interrelationship. This is arranged either by enlarging the conical surfaces sothat some horizontal support is afforded or preferably by pro-y viding the lower eye 22 with a cross bar 44, especially as shown in Figure '1. The cross bar is preferably of lesser extent than theaperture through the eye so that material which might normally tend to collect in the lower eye can pass either side of the bar and be discharged.V This keeps the lower eye'freely available.

The hinge bolts 42 andv 43 are moved into retracted and projected positions by a special toggle mechanism. Disposed on each of the angle irons is a pivot bracket 46 serving as a .journal A pivot bolt 48 forms a mounting for the hand lever so Vthat the lever One end of the On either side of the pivot mounting 48 the handle lever has pivot connections 5I and 52 with an adjacent one of azpair ofy pitman links 53 and 54. Each of these in turn is connected by a pivot junction 56 and 51 with one of the hinge bolts 42 or 43.

Upon appropriate rotation of the handle portion 49 the hand lever forms a toggle and moves the pitmans 53 and 54 so that the bolts 42 and 43 are translated. In so doing the hand lever passes through a central position aligned with the pitmans 53 and 54 and also into positions either side of such central position. This toggle motion is effective to move the hinge bolts 43 and 42 from retracted position out of engagement with the eye bolts into a projected position in journal engagement with the eyebolts. amount of projection of the lowermost hinge bolt 42 into the lowermost eye` 22 is suicient so that the lower end of the hinge bolt bears upon the cross bar 44 in weight supporting relationship;

When the hand lever is rotated appropriately, the entire weight of the adjacent portion of the gate panel is lifted by the inter-engagement of the hinge bolt and the bar 44.

In order to hold the weight of the gate in such a relative position of the parts there is provided a stop 53 (Figure 2) on the angle iron and preferably in a position soV that the handle portion 49 can be sprung to lie either side of the stop but is readily retained between the stop and the lower end of theY bolt 43. The relationship is such, with regard to the weight of the gate and the angularity of the toggle linkage, that the Ymechanism will normally stay inY its toggled and stopped location with the gate slightly lifted. However, the pressure required for an operator to dislodge the handle portion 49 from the stop 53 is relatively small and the handle therefore is readily shifted when desired.

In operation both of the handle portions are normallyin position with their associated hinge bolts projected so that the gate panel is confined at each of its four corners and so that the entire weight of theY gatepanel is carried on the two lowermost hinge bolts 42. There is no heavir load on the upper eyebolt I 1, the entire weight of the gate being b orne vertically as a vertical load and without any horizontal component on the uppermost eyebolts. These are used only to prevent lateral dislodgement of the gate panel.

Since all of the hinge bolts form journals, in order to swing the gate in either direction the operator has merely to disengage the appropriate one of the two handle portions 49 and to retract the adjacent hinge bolts. The weight of the gate is then borne in the normal fashion on the still engaged remaining hinge bolts and the gate can be swung through substantially degrees or more in an appropriate direction. With the arrangement of the parts asshown in Figure 4, for

example, it is possible to swing the Ventire gate through approximately 270 degrees of rotation and thusrto block any one of three lanes.

f In the event the gate is to be swung in the opposite direction the first hinge bolts are re-engaged with their eyebolts and in so doing the adjacent end of the gate panel is slightly lifted.

This is because'when one end is released, the weight of the gate and the clearance between the remaining supporting parts are such that the outboard or non-supported end of the gate Ytends to Vdrop or sag slightly. When the previously retracted hinge bolts are again engaged, their end of the gate is lifted slightly and the entire weight or" that end vportion of the gate is again borne by Thereafter the opposite end can be released by appropriate manipulation of the handle portion 49.

:In this fashion there is provided a connection for both ends of the gate such that the gate can be swung in either direction or in the event it is necessary to removethe gate entirely for operational purposes Vvor for repair or for replacement Furthermore the both handle portions 49 can be simultaneously operated, all of the mountings can be released, and the gate panel can be taken away as a unit.

It is sometimes desirable to operate all of a Anumber of gates simultaneously. That is easily arranged by providing a common operating cable 1| which at appropriate intervals is fast to the upstanding arm 12 of a multiple armed lever secured by a pivot 13 to an adjacent post 6 or 1. Each of the levers 12 is also provided with laterally extending arms 1-4 and 16 including articulations or hinges 11 in approximate alignment with the gate hinges. Auxiliary cables 18 extend from the extremities of the arms 16 for example over appropriate pulleys 19 to a fastening 8| on the `appropriate one of the handle portions 49. With thisvarrangement an operator at a remote point by pulling the cable 1l can simultaneously ac-v tuate the handle portions 49 of a number of gates so releasing them to swing in an appropriate direction. If the alternate handle portions are to be operated, the remaining lever arms 14 can be provided with cables reeved to the opposite handles. In this fashion a number of gates can be operated simultaneously in either desired direction.

I claim:

1. A gate construction comprising a pair of up standing posts, a pair of brackets mounted on each of said posts adjacent the top and the bottom thereof, an eyebolt movably mounted on each of said brackets, a pair of upstanding angle irons, gate bars secured to said angle irons, a pair of aligned tubes mounted on each of said angle irons adjacent thetop and the bottom thereof, hinge bolts slidably mounted in said tubes and loosely engageable with said eye bolts, a toggle mechanism on each of said angle irons connected to said hinge bolts thereon for projecting said hinge bolts into engagement with said eye bolts and for retracting said hinge bolts therefrom, and supporting surfaces on said bottom eyebolts in the path of said hinge bolts when projected to transfer the weight on said angle irons to said eye bolts when said hinge bolts are in projected position.

2. A gate construction comprising a pair of upstanding posts, a pair of brackets mounted on each of said posts adjacent the top and the bottom thereof, an eyebolt horizontally movable on each of said brackets, a pair of upstanding end members, gate bars secured to said end members, a pair of vertically aligned tubes mounted on each of said end members adjacent the top and the bottom thereof, hinge bolts slidably mounted in said tubes, a handle lever pivotally mounted on each of said end members, pitman links connected to said handle lever and to said hinge bolts to project said hinge bolts into said eyebolts when said handle lever is operated toward a position in alignment with said pitman links, and a stop on each'of said eyebolts on the bottom brackets for limiting downward projecting movement of the bottom hinge bolts with respect to the eyebolts before said handle lever is in alignment with said pitman links.

3. In a gate construction, an angle` iron having means for receiving gate bar fasteners, a pair of longitudinally aligned tubes mounted on said angle iron near the ends thereof, hinge bolts slidably disposed within said tubes, a handle lever pivotally mounted on said angle iron between said tubes and movable over one of said hinge bolts, pitman links pivotally connected to said hinge bolts and to said handle lever for movement on both sides of and through a position aligned with said hinge blts and said handle lever, and a stop on said angle iron for restraining said handle lever against said one rof said hinge bolts and on one side of said position.

4. A gate construction comprising a pair of ul)` standing posts, a pair of brackets mounted on each of said posts adjacent the top and the bottom thereof, an eye bolt mounted on each of said brackets, a pair of upstanding end members, gate bars secured to said end members, a pair of verbetween retracted and projected positions, said hinge bolts in projected position entering and forming a journal engagement with said eye bolts, the lower ends of said bottom eye bolts and the bottom ones of said vhinge bolts in projected position having abutting surfaces to form supports for the weight of said gate, a toggle mechanism on each of said end members connected to said hinge bolts for moving said hinge bolts between retracted and projected positions, and stops on each of said end members for yieldingly holding said toggle mechanism thereon against movement in either direction and with said hinge bolts in projected position.

BRYAN STUART HAR-DY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this' patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

